Improvement



UNrrnr; S'rarns L. H. GIVBBS, OF

PATENT Ormea.

OBERLIN, onto.

IMPROVEMENT lN FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 5,316, dated October 2, 1847.

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, LUoIUs H. GIBBs, of Oberlin, in the county of Lorain and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Repeating-Rifle; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation thereof, reference b'eing had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which Figure lis a longitudinal vertical section. Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective views, and Figs. 4, 5,6, 7, S, 9, and l0 are detached portions of the same.

The nature of myinvention consists in making the breech-stock ofthe gun tubular, the tube communicating with the breech of the guubarrel for the purpose. of receiving a number of shot-charged cylinders in such a manner that as soon as one is discharged of allits loads it may lie easily and quickly taken from the gun, as herein set forth, and another cylinder made to take its place by simply dropping the muzzle of the gun.

A A A, Figs. 1,5, 6, and 7, are the cylinders.

F is the tubular stock, into which nine of the cylinders are placed through the opening at the lower end of the stock, which opening is closed by thecover Gand secured by the springcatch d.

o c c are springs placed on the inside of the tubular stock for the purpose of preventing the cylinders from dropping in said stock after they have been brought up toward the barrel K.

B is the hammer, and O is the mainspring.

D is a tumbler placed immediately under the hammer B, and is made to press and retain the cylinder, which is between it and the rear end of the barrel in the position for being discharged, closely against the barrel, thereby preventing the escape of any fire or powder at the junction of the cylinder with the barrel; and the manner in which this is effected is as follows, viz:

On the upper surface of the breech the nut E, Figs. l, 2, 4, and l0, is secured. The screwv a, which fits the nut E, is turned by the lever b, and has attached to its front end a disk or plate having the pin a projecting from its front surface. The pin n plays in a slot, p, Fig. 4:, cut in a diagonal direction across the rear surface of the tumbler D. When the hammer B is cocked, by lifting the lever b the tumbler will be raised to the position shown in Fig. 9, thus allowing clear space for a fresh cylinder to be brought to the barrel from the stock,as described. When the fresh cylinder is in its place the tumbler D is brought down behind itby depressing the lever b, and the same depression of the lever turns the screw a in the against the rear end of the cylinder, which in its turn is brought close to the rear end of the barrel. The tumbler D has a recess, k, cut in it for the purpose of allowing the hammer to have free access to the cap on the nipple of the cylinder. 'This recess incloses the cap to be discharged and hits it off from all communication with the other caps on the cylinder.

H, Figs. l, 3, and 8, is a cover, curved to lit the form ofthe cylinder, sliding on ledges g g, (seen most distinctly in Figs. 3 and 8,) and made to run backward immediately under the cylinder, which is in position for being dis charged. The cover H has a transverse slot or opening extending across nearly its whole width, in which opening the tumbler l)"plays from side to side of the cover H. The cylinder A,Fig. 6, has notches s s out on its periphery. After one load has been fired from the cylinder, anditis desired to bring the next charge round opposite the barrel, the tumbler f is pushed into the position shown in Figs. 3 and 8 and its tooth made to take into one of the notches s on the cylinder. rllhen by pushing the tumblerin a reversed direction to itslast movement until it strikes against the springh the cylinder is made to revolve in the breech ofthe gun to the point where a fresh charge is brought opposite the barrel. The cover H is of a double thickness, and the tumbler j' has pins t' t', Fig. l, extending from each of its sides into the space between said thickness, for the purpose of preventingsaid tumbler from getting out of the opening in which it plays. rlhe spring h, placed on the cover Himmcdiately over and purpose. One of its offices is to prevent the cylinder from being' turned too far. This it does as follows, viz: The tumbler f has extending from its outer surface, immediately over its tooth, a trigger or handle, by which itis moved, and when the cylinder is turned this trigger or handle comes in contact with the spring h precisely as the bore of the cylinder comes opposite the bore of the barrel. The other office nut E, thereby forcing the tumbler'D forward pressing onto the tumbler f, serves adouble it against the barrel in the manner hereinbeof the spring 7L is to prevent the tooth of the tumbler from slipping out of the notch s in the cylinder while said cylinder is being revolved.

The manner of using my improved repeatingrifle is as follows: The tubular stock F being filled with the cylinders A through the opening at the lower end, the hammer B is cocked, the tumbler D thrown up in the manner already described, the muzzle of the gun is dropped, and a cylinder falls into its place to be discharged. The tumbler D is now brought down behind the cylinder, and is made to press fore set forth. The cylinder being adjusted by means of the tumbler j', the hammer is made to strike the cap in any well-known or usual manner, and one load has been discharged. The hammer is immediately cocked, the cylinder readjusted by the tumblerj', and a second dischargeis made. Thus the operation is repeated of cooking, loading, and liring until all the loads of one cylinder are discharged. The hammer is then again raised, the tumbler D again thrown up, the cover H thrown forward, (the rod l attached to its front side sliding under the strap J, thereby keeping said cover in line,) and the empty cylinder drops out. The sliding cover His thrown back in its place, the

muzzle of the gun dropped to cause a fresh cylinder from the hollow stock to take the place of the one just removed, the tumbler D brought down behind and made to press it forward, and thus the operation is repeated until all the cylinders are discharged.

By placing nine cylinders in the tubular stock, eachY cylinder containing seven loads, one man, with but little practice, will be able to discharge this'flre-arm sixty-three times in less than three minutes.

Having thus fully described my improved repeating-rifle, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The tubular breech-stock, communicating with the bore of the barrel, for containing a series of shot-charged cylinders, combined with the springs c c, the retaining-tumbler D, the sliding dischargin g-cover H,the revolvingturnblerf, and the spring h, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. rEhe manner of pressing and retaining the shot charged cylinders irmly against the breech of the barrel by means of the tumbler D, the screw-rod a, the nut E, and the lever I), substantially as herein set forth.

L. GIBBS.

Witesses:

Z. G. BoBBINs, Josnrn HARDY. 

